At a glance

"The BMW X3 brings the quality and luxury of a more upmarket SUV to the compact class."

The BMW X3 is the German brand's mid-size SUV that's better suited to road driving than the rough stuff, even if most models have four-wheel-drive.

The X3 has a well-built interior, slick engines and it's more fun to drive than most of its rivals, thanks to a well-balanced suspension system and crisp steering. That said, it can’t quite keep up with the likes of the Porsche Macan for driving enjoyment, but the BMW is significantly less expensive. It's a closer rival to the Land Rover Discovery Sport, along with the Audi Q5, Lexus NX and Range Rover Evoque.

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The 30d and 35d offer similar performance to the Macan, but feature cheaper running costs overall. The smaller 2.0-litre diesel seen in the 20d has recently been revised, so it's more powerful and much quieter – so we think that it's the best all-rounder in the current line-up.

If you’re planning to drive the X3 exclusively on-road and are happy to compromise on less performance, the sDrive 18d will do the job just fine. We drove it in the wet, and even though it didn’t have four-wheel-drive, the rear tyres had plenty of grip and it felt just as sure-footed in the bends as the pricier xDrive models – while producing a fuel economy figure of more than 60mpg.

The BMW X3 can now be had in xLine trim, which joins the existing SE and M Sport trim levels.

What the others say

"A stylish but less controversial design language is taking shape at BMW and the X3 is cut from the same cloth. Sharp edges and acute angles have been replaced by sculpted contours in the bonnet and doors. While the last car's proportions looked awkward, the new X3 is more elegant."

"The X3 betters its closest rivals – the Audi Q5, Land Rover Freelander and Volvo XC60 – on a couple of levels, namely dynamics and running costs. 50.4mpg and 149g/km (£125 a year tax) compare to class averages of 45mph and 160g/km+ (£155+). If you don’t need off-road ability, though, a BMW 520d Touring is better looking, just as practical and cleaner, too."